7429. And the magicians said unto Pharaoh. That this signifies perception and communication with those who were in evils, is evident from the signification of “saying,” as being perception (see n. 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2619, 2862, 3509, 5743), and also communication (n. 3060, 4131, 6228, 7291, 7381); from the signification of “magicians,” as being those who pervert Divine order and portray the like in the external form (of which just above, n. 7426); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities and infest (n. 6651, 6679, 6683, 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7317), here those who are in evils, because they are now in a state of evil, after false reasonings have been taken away, as is plain from what goes before.

7426. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, to bring forth lice. That this signifies an endeavor to pervert Divine order, and to portray the like in these things also, is evident from the signification of “they did,” as being an endeavor to do the same thing, for it follows that “they could not;” from the signification of “magicians” and “enchantments,” as being to pervert Divine order and to portray the like in the external form (see n. 7296, 7297, 7337); and from the signification of “bringing forth lice,” as being to produce the evils signified by the “lice” (n. 7419).